Chocolate Yule Log
Chocolate Yule Log
Ingredients
Buttercream Filling
- 1 ⅔ cups confectioners' sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons coffee-flavored liqueur
- 1 ½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 pinch salt
- ⅓ cup mascarpone cheese
Sponge Cake
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- ⅔ cup white sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, or as needed, divided
Ganache Frosting
- 1 cup heavy cream, boiling-hot
- (8 ounce) package dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- 1
Whip 1 ⅔ cups confectioners' sugar, ½ cup butter, coffee-flavored liqueur, 1 ½ tablespoons cocoa powder, and 1 pinch salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on high speed.
- 2
Transfer filling to a separate bowl; stir in mascarpone cheese until combined. Set aside. Clean and dry the stand mixer bowl.
- 3
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- 4
Brush a 13x18-inch rimmed baking sheet with a little melted butter. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper; brush parchment with remaining melted butter.
- 5
Whisk ½ cup cocoa powder, flour, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt together in a bowl, making sure to break up any clumps.
- 6
Place eggs in the clean stand mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment. Add sugar; whip until fluffy, thick, and very light in color, 2 to 3 minutes.
- 7
Add vanilla extract and ½ cocoa powder mixture; mix on low speed for a few seconds.
- 8
Add remaining ½ cocoa mixture; mix on low for a few seconds. Switch to high speed; mix until the mixture is moistened but not fully blended.
- 9
Pull off the whisk attachment and use it to whisk the batter by hand until evenly blended.
- 10
Pour batter onto the prepared baking sheet; spread out with a spatula, almost to the edges, but not quite. Tap the baking sheet on the counter several times to remove any large air bubbles.
- 11
Bake in the preheated oven until the top is dry and the edges start to pull away from the sides, 8 to 10 minutes.
- 12
Meanwhile, sift some confectioners' sugar onto a clean kitchen towel to cover an area slightly larger than the sponge cake.
- 13
Remove cake from the oven. Run a knife around edges of the baking sheet. Dust some confectioners' sugar over top of cake. Run a spatula under the parchment paper to make sure it's not stuck to the baking sheet.
- 14
Quickly flip the baking sheet on top of the sugared area on the towel to invert the cake.
- 15
Carefully remove the parchment paper, then sift more confectioners' sugar over cake.
- 16
Gently roll cake up inside the towel; set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
- 17
Carefully unroll the cooled cake. Dollop as much buttercream filling as you like on top, reserving some for later; spread to the edges.
- 18
Roll cake up over the filling, using the towel to lift it if needed.
- 19
Sprinkle more confectioners' sugar over top of log; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
- 20
Pour hot cream over chocolate chips in a bowl; set aside for 1 minute, then whisk until chocolate is melted.
- 21
Cut log at an angle 3 inches from one end of log. Place log on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- 22
Spread some filling on the angled slice; attach it to one side of the log.
- 23
Spread a layer of ganache all over cake, except for the swirls on the ends. Refrigerate until ganache firms up, 15 minutes.
- 24
Carve lines into ganache to create the appearance of tree bark using the tip of a knife. Refrigerate until completely chilled.
- 25
Dust with cocoa powder and confectioners' sugar before serving.
Nutrition
Per serving (based on 10 servings)

